Incubator and method for cleaning the incubator

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for cleaning an incubator and to an incubator designed for carrying out the method. The method involves disinfecting the incubator, or at any rate the climatic chamber and/or removable parts present in it during the incubation process, by means of a disinfecting heat treatment. Said heat treatment can comprise a step in which the incubator, or at any rate the climatic chamber, is heated to a temperature of at least 50° C., in particular a temperature of approximately 58° to 65° C. for at least 25 minutes. The invention further relates to an incubator, in which the temperature relating means used for the incubation process are further designed for carrying out a disinfecting heat treatment in the climatic chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for cleaning an incubator,involving disinfecting the incubator, or at any rate the climaticchamber and/or removable parts present in it during the incubationprocess.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is known from the prior art in the case of incubators to clean thelatter after an incubation process and prior to a subsequent incubationprocess by means of, inter alia, a disinfection step. The incubator isgenerally first cleaned with water with or without the addition ofchemicals, and is then disinfected by means of chemicals in a subsequentstep. Prior to the disinfection by means of chemicals, and also oftenthereafter, the incubator, in particular the incubation chamber, isoften then dried additionally with the aid of a fan. It is known thatthis cleaning is important in order to prevent cross-infections in thefood chain. The fact is that the eggs and birds that have hatched fromthem in an earlier incubation process can be infected with bacteria,such as colis and salmonella, and without further cleaning steps willthen pass on this infection also to a subsequent batch of eggs to beincubated and to the chicks to be hatched out from them. As will beclear, this must be avoided, which was the aim with the conventionalmethod of cleaning incubators.

A disadvantage of the known, conventional method of cleaning incubatorsis, however, that the method of cleaning used does not satisfactorilyreach all points in the incubator, or at any rate the incubatingchamber. Cracks and scams are particularly difficult to cleanthoroughly, so that there is a risk of infection sources remainingbehind in them. A further disadvantage is that the chemicals used areharmful to the environment and also tend to attack the materials thatare incorporated in the incubator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method forcleaning an incubator, by means of which in particular the risk of thepresence of infection sources remaining behind after the cleaning can bereduced to a far-reaching extent.

The abovementioned object is achieved according to the invention in thecase of the method of the type mentioned at the beginning by the factthat the disinfection comprises a disinfecting heat treatment.Disinfecting heat treatments are known as such from the prior art. Insuch treatments an object is heated for a minimum length of time, whichis laid down, for example, by government, at a minimum temperature,which is laid down, for example, by government. The length of time isgenerally shorter with increasing temperature. Various lengths of timeand corresponding temperatures are prescribed for various types ofinfection sources. It is usual to work here with a constant temperaturefor a specific length of time, but the temperature can also varyaccording to a prescribed course or otherwise for a specific length oftime.

The temperature at which an incubator for the hatchery is operatedgenerally lies around 100° F., i.e. around 38° C. This temperature canvary by several degrees, depending on the type of chick to be hatched.The range generally lies within 3° C. around the abovementioned 38° C.If these temperatures are significantly exceeded, this can lead todamage to the chicks to be hatched. Disinfecting heat treatments differfrom the incubation process by the fact that the temperature duringdisinfecting heat treatments will exceed 50° C., and in particular thetemperature during a disinfecting heat treatment will rise above 55° C.The method according to the present invention, according to a morespecific embodiment, is therefore in particular characterized in thatthe temperature for the disinfecting heat treatment exceeds 50° C., inparticular exceeds 55° C.

According to a special embodiment, the heat treatment comprises one ormore steps in which the incubator, or at any rate the climatic chamberand/or the removable parts belonging in it, is heated to a specifictemperature for a length of time. Very particularly, in the methodaccording to the invention the length of time in one of those steps isat least 25 minutes, generally at least 30 minutes at a specifictemperature of at least 50° C., preferably lying in the range between 58and 65° C.

According to a further special embodiment of the invention, thetemperature during the disinfecting heat treatment will be a maximum of150° C., preferably a maximum of 125° C., such as, for example, amaximum of approximately 100° C. This is with a view to reducing thestress on the incubator and on the durability of the materials used init.

According to a further, very advantageous embodiment of the invention,the disinfecting heat treatment of the incubator, or at any rate theclimatic chamber, is carried out using the heating means of thatincubator that are provided for the incubation process. It is thereforenot necessary to provide additional heating means. Only the manner ofusing those heating means need be adapted, and in particular this willamount to a modified temperature regulation. From efficiencyconsiderations it is advantageous here according to the invention ifduring said disinfecting heat treatment said removable parts belongingin the climatic chamber are placed in the climatic chamber. What shouldbe understood by such removable parts belonging in the climatic chamberis, for example, egg drawers or other drawers or trays on which the eggsfor hatching out are lying, and by means of which the hatched-out chickscan possibly be easily removed subsequently from the incubator.

Prior to the disinfecting heat treatment, the incubator, or at any ratethe climatic chamber and/or the removable parts belonging in it,according to the invention can first be cleaned with water with orwithout the addition of chemicals. It could also be conceivable todisinfect with chemicals prior to the disinfecting heat treatment, orpossibly after it.

It will be clear that the disinfecting heat treatment in the case of themethod according to the invention can be used as an additional step thatcomplements the conventional method of cleaning incubators described atthe beginning. The great advantage of the disinfecting heat treatment isthat it also reaches the places of the incubator, or at any rate theclimatic chamber, that are difficult or impossible to reach, since thetemperature is relatively easy to bring to a specific value also atthose places. However, the present invention ensures that with the useof the disinfecting heat treatment it is possible to dispense with manysteps of the conventional methods of cleaning incubators.

The present invention also relates to an incubator comprising a climaticchamber and temperature regulating means for regulating the temperaturein the climatic chamber during the incubation process, which incubatoraccording to the invention is characterized in that the temperatureregulating means are further designed for disinfecting, by means of adisinfecting heat treatment, the climatic chamber and any parts presentin said chamber, in particular at temperatures above 50° C., preferablyabove 55° C.

According to a further special embodiment of the invention, in the caseof the incubator the temperature regulating means are designed to heatthe climatic chamber for the disinfecting heat treatment to apredetermined temperature during one or more steps for a predeterminedlength of time. The predetermined length of time and predeterminedtemperature may in this case, as already stated, have been specified bygovernment, or will at any rate be lengths of time known from theliterature with corresponding temperatures for destroying certain typesof infection sources.

According to a preferred embodiment, in one of those steps thepredetermined length of time will be at least 25 minutes, and thespecific temperature will be at least 50° C., preferably approximately58 to 65° C.

In order to ensure that the incubator and the materials and structuralparts used in it are not subjected to excessive stress, thepredetermined temperature will be a maximum of 150° C., and preferably amaximum of 125° C., such as, for example, a maximum of approximately100° C.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be explained briefly below with reference toan incubator known from the prior art, namely NL 1.016.636 of theapplicants. This explanation will be with reference to the singleFIGURE, which is taken from NL 1.016.636.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The FIGURE shows an incubator 1 with an outside wall 2. A climaticchamber composed of three compartments 31 is formed in the incubator 1by means of a ceiling 3 and inside walls 30. A number of trolleys 4 withtrays 5 can be set up in each compartment 31 of the climatic chamber 32.The trolleys 4 and trays 5 each form so-called “removable parts that arepresent in the climatic chamber during the incubation process”. Acurrent of air, which is diagrammatically indicated by arrows, isgenerated in the incubator 1 by means of a pump or fan 6. Said currentof air goes into the left-hand compartment through the perforated wall30, passes through the trolleys and along the trays, and then passesthrough the likewise perforated wall 30 into the middle compartment 31etc. until the air leaves the right-hand compartment 31 through theright-hand wall 30. Heating means for heating the air to be circulatedare provided in the walls 30, or possibly elsewhere in the incubator. Inaddition, the incubator can further be provided with sensors 20, forexample for measuring the CO₂ content in the current of air or other gascomponents, and also for measuring the temperature.

In the case of the method according to the invention the disinfectingheat treatment can be achieved by arranging the temperature regulatingmeans in such a way that they can also raise the temperature of thecurrent of air to a temperature suitable for a disinfecting heattreatment. It is also conceivable, if desired, to provide additionalheating means and/or temperature regulating means for a disinfectingheat treatment. In addition, it is very well possible according to theinvention for the trays 5 or trolleys 4 to be subjected to adisinfecting heat treatment in a separate heat treatment room.

1. A method for cleaning an incubator having temperature regulatingmeans for regulating the temperature in a climatic chamber during anincubation process, the method involving disinfection of at least one ofa climatic chamber and removable parts present in the climatic chamberduring the incubation process, wherein the disinfection comprises adisinfecting heat treatment performed on the climatic chamber within theincubator using the temperature regulating means of the incubatorprovided for the incubation process, wherein the temperature for thedisinfecting heat treatment exceeds 55° C.
 2. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the temperature for the disinfecting heat treatmentdoes not exceed 150° C.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein thetemperature for the disinfecting heat treatment does not exceed 100° C.4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of theclimatic chamber and removable parts are cleaned with water prior to thedisinfection.
 5. A method for cleaning an incubator having temperatureregulating means for regulating the temperature in a climatic chamberduring an incubation process, the method involving disinfection of atleast one of a climatic chamber and removable parts present in theclimatic chamber during the incubation process, wherein the disinfectioncomprises a disinfecting heat treatment performed on the climaticchamber within the incubator using the temperature regulating means ofthe incubator provided for the incubation process, wherein at least oneof the climatic chamber and removable parts are heated between 58° to65° C. for at least 25 minutes.